Posts Tagged ‘appalachia’
Fighting Mountaintop Removal During the Obama Years
From The Appalachian Voice: In 2009, representatives of the new Obama administration said that “the administration will do what the science calls for.” In Appalachia, the science calls for an end to mountaintop removal coal mining. But six years later, mountaintop removal is still happening.
Appalachia’s Health Checkup
For decades, residents of Appalachia have struggled with poor health and disproportionate rates of chronic disease. In the face of these challenges, efforts to bring medical care to those in need and foster healthier communities are growing.
Read MoreWhat will Obama’s legacy be on mountaintop removal?
After six years of the Obama presidency, mountaintop removal coal mining continues to put Appalachian communities at risk, leading many to wonder what his legacy on the issue will be. The Alliance for Appalachia just released a Grassroots Progress Report examining the administration’s successes and shortfalls in dealing with mountaintop removal.
From Southwest Virginia, a path for less pollution
Kathy Selvage comes from a long line of coal miners in southwest Virginia. She’s proud of her heritage, yet is a passionate advocate for moving Appalachia away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy.
Be cool and keep fighting
For the next couple of days, you’ll have a hard time looking at anything online or on TV that doesn’t try to break down the midterm elections. Most pundits will analyze what happened, and some will try to tell you what it all means. Whatever that is, the job before us has not changed, and our responsibilities to Appalachia are the same today as they were yesterday and will be tomorrow.
A Washington Post editorial on mountaintop removal’s dirty consequences
The Washington Post published a strongly worded editorial condemning mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia that cites recent studies revealing the practice’s dirty consequences. With the mounting scientific evidence that mining pollution is decimating aquatic life, wiping out trees and mountains, and promoting a host of human health problems, there is no excuse to continue allowing mountaintop removal.
Mountaintop removal promotes lung cancer
The body of research linking mountaintop removal mining to lung cancer just got a whole lot stronger. Using dust samples collected in communities near mountaintop removal mines, a new study conducted by West Virginia University researchers found a direct link between air pollution and tumor growth.
The reclamation myth, it’s still happening too
Companies are still using mountaintop removal, blowing up mountains in Appalachia to mine coal. But despite what some say, they are not putting them back together again. Until the Obama administration and Congress take serious action, no amount of reclamation is going to fix the problems the mining is leaving behind.
The Truth About Coal Ash
Coal ash — the byproduct of burning coal for electricity — is currently less regulated than regular household garbage. Filled with heavy metals, coal ash is proven to contaminate groundwater and pollute communities with dust.
Read MoreEmployees of DEP-certified lab conspired to violate Clean Water Act
An employee of a state-certified company pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Water Act after he faked compliant water quality samples for coal companies between 2008 and 2013. While we’re appalled by this discovery, it is hard to be surprised.